Center Stage
by Sunnybrook
Summary: Another acting troupe has come to Sweetwater and for William Cody a chance once again to take the stage. But something sinister is lurking in the shadows of the town's theater house. Will this be Cody's last great performance?


**This story is A/U. It is set during the second season, after the episode, "The play is the thing."**

William Cody loved the stage. His first taste, his real first taste came after the Express had been in Sweetwater for about six months. A traveling acting troupe had come to Sweetwater. Their lead actor, Jonathan, who never could decide on a good stage name,had gotten shot in the leg. That gave Cody his chance to fill in and perform.

Cody soon discovered acting wasn't as easy as he thought. He had trouble making something as simple as being afraid of getting shot believable when he knew the gun was fake. But with the aid of their troupe leader, he caught on fast, real fast. She had a knack for bringing the reality of a situation home for him. The night of his big performance, Cody brought down the house and thats when the acting bug bit hard.

But his moment in the spotlight was just that, a moment as the small acting company turned out to be assassins working for the ever growing Confederacy. It had been a terrible disappointment for Cody and rarely had he been as grateful for Teaspoon's words of wisdom as he'd been then.

To Cody's great excitement, roughly a couple months later another acting troupe came to Sweetwater. He was offered the role of understudy to a well known actor, Stevenson Montgomery.

Cody threw himself into rehearsals. He knew his chance of actually taking the stage and performing alongside beautiful Miss Abigail Adair was slim but he was going to make sure he was well prepared. Being in rehearsals once more was like being alive again. His life with the Pony Express was never boring but it still never made him feel quite as alive as being on stage did.

His big break came one evening when Stevenson took ill and Cody had his moment once more in the spotlight. He loved doing death scenes best of all and this one rivaled his previous foray into the acting world with Jenny St. Clair, months before.

He hit it right off with Miss Adair, their chemistry on and off the stage was more than he could have hoped for. He was an instant overnight sensation and the next evening he performed to a sold out house and received his first standing ovation.

But not everyone in the audience was clapping with enthusiasm. There was one individual who narrowed his eyes on the young Pony Express Rider and watched him through the crowds of admirers. Then with the ease of a spector he slipped into the shadows, no more to be seen that night.

He had laid his plans carefully. Some thought he had a touch of madness, but the old adage may have been just as true, there was a fine line between brilliance and insanity. He had studied William F. Cody, for some time now and knew all his habits and vanities. The brash young man never had a clue. But one thing was certain he would never take her away from him again.

Cody's friends flocked around to offer the typical congratulations and adulations that one would offer to a close companion and makeshift brother. It was about that time that the lovely Abigail Adair slipped up beside Cody and linked her delicate arm around his and handed him a note.

Carefully, Cody opened the letter as a large charming grin spread across his handsome face.

"It seems I have my first admirer." He boasted. "Someone wants to meet me and also asked for my autograph."

"Oh lord." Kid groaned. "There's going to be no living with him now."

"Tell me about it," Jimmy replied. "HIs head is already too big as it is. Now it won't even fit in the bunkhouse door."

"Hey," Cody exclaimed as he smacked Jimmy in the arm. "I'm still going to be the same ole' William F. Cody, but now I'll really be bringing some style and class to the Pony Express."

Buck arched a dark brow at his friend, "Style, you? Get out of here, Cody."

"That's right, Buck, style. And you're right, I should get going." He replied, straightening his jacket collar, "I don't want to keep my admirers waiting, isn't that right Abigail?"

"Whatever you say, Billy." She rolled her eyes at his brash charm, smiled at his friends and followed him through the curtain to the back stage.

"Hey, Cody." Jimmy hollered at his friend. "We won't wait up for you."

The rest of his Express family laughed and bid him good evening. Everyone was happy for Cody. For all the teasing, they all understood what being an actor had come to mean to their friend.

They never knew who or what was or lurking in the shadows of that theater, spying on them. In fact, they never even spared a thought that anything might be lurking. But Buck thought he caught the sound of low menacing laughter. It made the hairs on his arms stand on end.

Buck knitted his dark brows together and gave a final cursory scan over the crowd of people to see where the sound originated, but he didn't detect anything out of the ordinary, nor did he hear the odd laugher again. He shrugged his shoulders as a way of shifting off the chill, but the strange tinglings at the base of his neck that ran down his spine wouldn't go away.

* * *

Abigail knew the effect admirers could have on one's ego. She had seen it happen to other actors and it almost happened to herself. She also knew firsthand the threat overzealous fans could pose.

While Abigail knew Billy wasn't a full fledged actor by trade, she didn't want to see these things happen so quickly to him. But this was his first performance with a full house and a standing ovation nonetheless, so she wasn't about to spoil his night.

When they reached the rear exit that led out into the alleyway, Abigail felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature outside. She had felt that same chill over a year ago, and suddenly something seemed off.

"Are you stepping outside?" Cody asked as he held the backstage door open for Abigail.

She smiled her easy sweet smile and slipped outside with him, surprised to find the alleyway empty except for a lone young lady, unescorted. Billy was talking easily to her and signing what looked like a program from the play. Abigail thought for a moment that she might really just be jumping at shadows.

"Abigail, why don't you go back inside. I'm sure there are guests that want a chance to meet you. I'll be along in a minute." He smiled at the young lady beside him. "I want to make sure Miss Spencer makes it safe to the livery stable."

Abigail's uneasiness returned. Something was just not right even though she couldn't put her finger on it exactly.

"Mr. Cody, I think you have an obligation inside the theater. Perhaps Miss Spencer, …"

"Abigail, I'll only be a moment or two. Besides I can't let a lady go unescorted to the livery all on her own. I know Sweetwater like the back of my hand." Once more he smiled that charming smile of his at the pretty Miss Adair.

"Why don't you go on in, so you won't miss a thing. I'll be back in a minute. Besides," he flashed her a quick grin, "Stevenson is going to want to know every little detail that went on tonight. It's a shame he had to miss it all."

Abigail prayed her instincts were way off but something just didn't feel quite right, she felt it in her bones,...but maybe she was overreacting, that had to be it. This was a small backwater town, after all...Yet, the feeling...she couldn't shift it.

* * *

The after performance party moved swiftly over to the Sweetwater hotel restaurant. Abigail and the other actors including their acting troupe owner, Mr. Wittmeier mingled with ease with the local well to do of Sweetwater. Still no sign of William Cody.

An uncontrollable fear began to seize hold of Abigail as she searched the crowd for Billy. She walked up to the local shop owner, Mr. Tompkins.

"Excuse me, Mr. Tompkins, Sir. I'm sorry to interrupt."

He smiled wide at the young lady. "No need to apologize, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you happened to see Bill...I mean Mr. Cody in the crowd?"

"Cody?" Tompkins snorted good naturedly. "Well speak of the devil himself."

The young man ambled to up to Abigail and slipped his arm around her waist.

"See, I told ya, you had nothing to worry about." Cody winked.

Abigail gave Mr. Tompkins one of her most glowing smiles, "Thank you. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"It's no bother Miss Adair. It was my pleasure." Tompkins beamed.

* * *

As with all good things, the party started winding down for the evening as the good folks of Sweetwater headed for their beds. An unusual fog had rolled in and settled upon the town as Cody bid the sweet Abigail Adair a good night with a long lingering kiss.

The evening couldn't have been more perfect, Cody mused, as he walked towards the livery. He could still hear the crowded playhouse explode in cheers as he took his final bow. And having the beautiful Abigail on his arm, the night was a dream come true as he relived the feel of her soft lips on his. It caused him, almost, for a moment, to consider quitting the Express and take up acting full time. He pondered the possibility of moving from town to town, hearing the nightly applause and greeting his admirers with a flourish. He would never lack for lovely ladies and the long hard days in the saddle would be a thing of his past. Cody sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, he loved working for the Pony Express. It never lacked for adventure and the cooking couldn't be beat, not to mention the sweet smiles of the young ladies in town. Yeah, for the time being he knew where he belonged, besides who would be there to give Jimmy and the rest of them a hard time?

Of all of his express friends, Jimmy was his best and it was his smile and hoots of admiration that Cody sought out most of all when he took center stage for his final bow.

He smiled thinking how good his bunk would feel right about now as he hefted his saddle out of the livery tack room and upon Soda.

Cody awoke with a groan. The blinding pain that sliced through his head left him feeling sick. He opened and closed his eyes but everything was blacker than pitch. His mouth was parched and he tried to move his tongue around in hopes of producing some saliva. "What happened? Where am I ?" he croaked, thinking he might have fallen off of his horse.

But as consciousness reclaimed him he knew that wasn't the case. He became acutely aware of his body pulled taut almost to the limits of his limbs detaching from joint sockets. His arms were stretched out above him and the weight of metal cuffs bit into the tender flesh of his wrists. He yanked hard but the metal cuffs wouldn't break free. Cody struggled some more, his mind now racing, _Where I'm I?_

It was then that he realized that his legs were also shackled tight to what he could only guess was some sort of crudely made rack that stretched him and held him strapped to the thing.

Desperately he tried to gain control and focus on what happened and more importantly who had done this to him. Still unable to see he tried to calm himself and take stock of his surroundings. The room, well he guessed it was a room, was cooler than it was outside and held a dank, stuffy smell like old clothing stashed away in a trunk that hadn't been open in years. He tried to holler out but the cry only came out in a raspy cough. Who ever it was that knocked him out knew what they were doing as his head still reeled from the searing blow.

No human being likes to be caged or chained. The first instinct is to fight to one's last breath to free oneself. William Cody was no different. He continued to grunt in pain as he yank and pull upward at the cuffs fastened to his wrist, heedless of the rusty metal digging his skin raw and bloody. His ankles weren't much better. He was stripped of his boots and his body weight caused the metal shackles attached to the wooden frame to cut into the upper part of his ankles, cutting off the circulation to his feet.

Cody tried to force the agonizing pain aside as he mentally clicked off all the people who would have wanted to see him suffer and... "NO!" he growled. He wasn't going to die. They would find him, his Express family would find him... If no one else could, Jimmy would find him. He had to.

Darkness, complete and abject darkness does strange things to a man, his mind starts playing tricks and time loses all meaning. Cody wasn't sure how long he had been left alone in that cursed darkness bound to some rack. But anything, even a sliver of light would have been a godsend compared to blackness that convinced him that he was either losing his sight or his mind. Unyielding pain seized hold him and he could not longer hold himself up or fight the confining bonds. Unconscious claimed him.

* * *

It was the low malevolent laughter that reached it's spindly fingers out and claimed Cody's wretched consciousness that jarred him awake. Was it night, morning, or afternoon, Cody couldn't tell as he groaned in pain, his mouth well past the point of parched. His limbs were still confined to the iron shackles that held him stretched on some cursed crude rack.

In some remote part of Cody's mind that had detached itself from the agonizing torture, he mused on the cleverness of the simple device. If he tried to use his arms and pull himself up to give relief to his legs the cold iron would gouge deep into the flesh of his wrist and if he did the opposite so as to relieve the throbbing in his weary arms the same would happen to his ankles. So he just let his body hang limp in the pitch blackness of his prison and tried to focus his sense of hearing on the laughter he thought he heard, all the while praying that he wasn't going mad.

There it was! A low fiendish chuckle. He strained to listen, he heard it again. His heart started racing. Never in his young life had he heard such a diabolical sound. A chilled horror ran through Cody as he tried to holler out, but his voice betrayed him as no sound came and the hellish laughter continued.

Suddenly a new sound could be heard, the rattling of keys into a lock. Finally he would meet his captor.

As the door squeaked open on it's rusty hinges, Cody turned his head towards the noise as his eyes focused on the dim pale light from a single candle.

Someone slipped silently into the room, but the sputtering glow of the candle seemed overwhelmed by the utter darkness. The best the wan light could do was cast the unknown laughing figure into caliginous shadows.

"Who are you?" Cody rasped.

The almost indistinguishable laughter ceased.

Now, all that could be heard was the lone person's steady breathing mingled with Cody's ragged breaths.

"Who are you?" Cody groaned. "What do you want with me?"

"Don't you know who I am?" His captor asked.

Cody couldn't contain the shudder that ran through him at the sound of the man's deep maleficent voice.

"No," he rasped.

He walked up close to Cody and hissed, "I'm your worst nightmare, Mr. William F. Cody."

With every ounce of strength he possessed Cody tried to pull himself free of his binding confines. "They'll find me!" He spat, headless of the pain and burning in his throat. "You can't keep me here! Teaspoon will be looking for me!"

He lunged once more against the iron cuffs and the man just chuckled wickedly.

"Your little friends will never find you. I'm going to make you pay for what you did."

"I didn't do anything to you mister, I swear. Why don't you tell me who you are?" Cody pleaded. All he could tell was that his captor was built like himself. Beyond that all his features were hidden in a black cloak. Even his damnable eyes were black.

"You thought you could take her from me, didn't you Mr. William F. Cody."

Dry hacking coughs started to rack Cody's body.

"Take who? I didn't steal anyone's girl." Cody swallowed hard, "Tell me who you are, damnit!"

Anger mingled with fear was building up in Cody as he watched the crazed madman circling him then came to a stop once more in front of him.

"It's just like you not to remember who I am or understand what you took from me."

With each word the man spoke with that hideous voice, Cody could feel hot stale breath upon his face.

"You come here with that smooth tongue, and charming grin. Well..." Again the low diabolical laugh as he firmly took hold of both of Cody's arms and pulled down hard.

Cody let out a gut wrenching scream as the thick rusty iron bands tore the flesh away from his hands.

Leaning in close to Cody's ear he whispered, "She's fickle you know. Likes to tease. But...," his black serpentine eyes locked with Cody's blue ones. "She loves me! You'll never take her from me!" He enunciated those last words.

"I didn't take anyone from you, I swear...I don't even know who you are...let me gooooo! " Between the blinding sheets of pain, Cody tried to think of any young ladies he recently had seen who might have had a beau or, worst still, a husband. Where was Teaspoon and the others?

"Abigail!" the name came out of Cody in a rush of breath. "She told me she wasn't married or courting anyone."

"Abigail?" He laughed in derision. "You truly think... haahaahaahaa" He threw his head back as he turned away from Cody and walked towards the inner wall.

All Cody wished for at the moment was the ability to block his ears. He had never been to hell, but at the moment he wished for it. Nothing could be as bad as that awful loathsome laugh.

Whipping back around he bore his gaze into William F. Cody, the bane of his mortal existence.

"Woman are a dime a dozen. You know I'm not talking about that pretty piece of fluff of Abigail Adair. Nooooo. You had a taste...you saw what she can really bring you..."

"Honest mister... I don't have a clue of what you are talking about. If you let me go now, Teaspoon won't press charges, I swear!" Cody was scared and in pain, there was no other word for it.

A small shriek made it's way into the semi dark chamber.

"Who's there?" Cody's captor yelled as he spun around and snatched up the flickering candle.

"Help...Teaspoon, Jimmy, Kid, Lou, Buck, Ike...Help! Anybody help!" Cody called out. "I'm in here...arrgggggg!" He cried out as his nameless captor punched him hard in the gut then in the same fluid motion, slammed his palm into his jaw, busting his lip.

"You..."he pointed a gloved finger at Cody.."You will think upon what you just tried to do, William F. Cody, retribution is coming fast for your soul..."

Once more Billy Cody was thrust into darkness, left only with silence, his screaming pain, and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.

* * *

"Cody didn't come home last night?" Rachel asked as she set a plate of biscuits down. She had made extra for Billy.

"Nope, his bunk wasn't slept in when I got up," Lou replied.

"Probably found something more entertaining in town to keep him occupied and decided to spend the night." Jimmy remarked with a knowing grin.

"All right, all right." Teaspoon threw up his hands. "The boy is entitled to a night out...after all he did us and the town of Sweetwater proud."

"You're right Teaspoon," Kid acknowledged with a sigh. "I just hope he's back in time to take care of his share of the evening chores."

*Me too* Ike signed. *I've taken on his work for the last two days while he rehearsed and performed, and I'm tired.*

"I don't know...something,... something doesn't seem right." Buck replied as he knitted his brow together, the way he always did when thoughts weighed heavy on his mind.

"What is it, Buck?" Rachel asked with concern. She had learned to trust Buck's instincts.

"It's nothing, never mind ."

Teaspoon studied the boy. Over time he had actually gotten good at reading the young Kiowa. "What is it son? Come on...out with it."

Buck sighed as he shifted his scrambled eggs across his plate. "I don't know, Teaspoon." He looked at the older man then continued, "Last night, after the performance I thought I heard laughter..."

"Well, Buck there was a lot of laughter going on at the theater." Jimmy quipped.

"Yeah, Jimmy's right, Buck." Lou added. "Cody gave a great performance, every one was happy for him."

Buck cut dark eyes at Jimmy and Lou, "It's not that! This laughter, it's...it's..."

*What, Buck?* Ike signed.

He looked over the faces sitting at the table then his dark eyes landed upon Cody's empty spot. "The laughter wasn't normal...It made the hairs on my neck and ...and arms stood on end." He lifted his gaze to Teaspoon, "that's happened to me only a handful of times and...nothing good comes of it."

The Bunk house fell silent at Buck's ominous words.

Jimmy snorted in feigned disbelief ."Come on, Buck...you don't really believe anything happened..."

"Jimmy!" Teaspoon cut him off before he got carried away and went charging into that theater house with guns a blazing.

"I think we all just need to wait. Cody's probably just spending time with his theater friends and will show up this evening. The boy doesn't miss one of Rachel's meal unless he can't help it. If he isn't back after that, I say we go looking for him." He passed a knowing look to Buck.

"Agreed, Rachel chimed in. I suggest you boys and Lou, eat up Cody's share! I won't have my good cooking go to waste."

Everyone started digging in for second helpings except for Buck. Something was off he just couldn't place his finger on what it was.

* * *

Abigail cowered low behind some old steamer trunks close to the wall as he stormed by.

_'Dear Almighty,'_ She prayed silently. _'He has Billy locked up. That was his scream, I know it was. Please Lord, don't let anything happen to him...'_

"Who's out there...I'll find you.. I swear! And when I do, you will answer to me!"

She covered her mouth while biting down on her hand to keep from crying out, as she heard his light footsteps ascend the stairs. It was happening all over again and she was terrified.

Abigail had never been in this lower part of the theater before. She stood frozen as a choice confronted her..find Cody or find his friends...all she knew was that time was of the essence. She opted to find Cody's friends, they could free him better than she ever could. When Abigail thought her path was clear, she darted out from her hiding place, but, pausing a moment, she heard a guttural cry rent the air...she became torn between going back to where she knew Cody was being held and seeking out the sheriff who could offer the best help.

* * *

"Buck, be honest. Do you really think someone is after Cody?" Jimmy asked as he paced Teaspoon's office.

"I never said that, Jimmy. Just said something didn't feel right." Buck simply replied.

"Well, It's getting on close to evening. I think we should lock up and start talking with some of those theater folks, see who saw Cody last." Teaspoon said.

"Yeah, like that pretty Miss Adair, Cody had his arm around," Jimmy suggested.

"My thoughts exactly, Jimmy." Teaspoon responded.

Buck was the first to catch the running steps up the sidewalk, "Looks like we won't have to find her, she's coming to us," he pointed out.

The door banged open and Miss Abigail Adair rushed into the room.

"Marshal Hunter, thank God you are still here, you have to save him, you must save him." She gushed as she grasped hold of his shirt and threw herself into Teaspoon's arms.

Teaspoon took several steps back as the force of the young woman's embrace hit him full on.

"Okay,now. Easy now, Miss Adair. What's happened? Who do we need to save?"

"He's going to kill him, I'm sure of it...just like last time," she sobbed into his shirt.

"Now hold on Miss, aint no one going to kill anyone, not while I'm Marshal." he looked at Buck and Jimmy for assistance with the girl.

Jimmy stepped up and pried the agitated actress off the older man and guided her to a nearby chair.

"Here, drink, it will help." Buck said as he held out a cup of water to Miss Adair who took it readily.

"Thank you." She clutched hold of the cup, hands shaking.

Pulling a chair up beside the young woman, Teaspoon sat down. "How about you start from the beginning. Who is planning to kill who?"

"Cody." She took a gulp of water. "Stevenson is going to kill your friend, Cody. We have to save him...we have to get him out...time is essential." She cast large desperate violet eyes upon the three men.

"Who's Stevenson?" Buck asked.

"He's the fella Cody filled in for," Jimmy replied.

Stroking his chin,Teaspoon asked, "I thought he was sick."

"He was," she replied, wiping tears away. "Or so I thought, as well. I went to his room this morning to check on him and bring him some hot tea and he wasn't there, he hadn't been there all night, or all day yesterday for that matter. His room was as neat as a pin. No sick man could have been in there and kept it that clean, especially someone like Steve."

"So you think Stevenson has something to do with Cody's assumed disappearance?"

Without warning she rose up, desperately wringing her hands together, "I know he has Billy."

"How?" Buck asked.

"I followed him," she simply replied. "Steve passed by Mr. Wittmeier's office as I was leaving. I grew curious and I wanted to see where he was going and what he was up to. It was his laugh that chilled me. That's when I knew it was happening again, just like before." Abigail's jaw was trembling as she look each of the three men in the eye.

"Just like before, before what, Miss Adair?" Jimmy asked.

She met Jimmy's golden eyes, "Denver," she breathed. "You have to believe me. I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, he plans to kill your friend. We have to get to him before it's too late."

"Can you take us to him?" Teaspoon asked. The hairs on the back of his neck were raising, this was for real, Cody was in danger.

"But isn't there a show performing?" Jimmy asked."The theater will soon be full of people..."

"No. There won't be another performance until this coming Friday night. It's vacant except for myself, Stevenson, and Mr. Wittmeier. He planned this perfectly," she replied with a rue twist to her mouth. "Come...I'll take you to Billy, pray it isn't too late for his sake or we'll never find him."

Her macabre words hung over them as they entered the darkened theater.

* * *

William Cody was no stranger to pain. Since joining the Pony Express he had been thrown by horses and even kicked by a few. And that wasn't even factoring in the grueling fast paced runs. Chased by Indians and outlaws alike, enduring gunshot wounds and even food poisoning at one point. Despite it all, nothing could have prepared him for the agony he was feeling at the moment as he hung, chained in some dank room._ 'Where am I...would Teaspoon and the others find me...who is doing this to me',_ Cody wondered, as he slipped in and out of consciousness. He no longer fought his confining bonds, the pain was far too excruciating to endure, his flesh was already ripped away where the iron dug deep and his body screamed for water; infection was soon to follow if help didn't arrive soon.

Out of the hazy mist of semi awareness Cody thought he detected the vague rattling of keys in a lock and a door creaking open. He chanced to open his eyes, praying for a miracle, Jimmy would be standing there, ready to free him from this little corner of hell.

No such miracle occurred, standing where Jimmy should have stood was his nameless tormentor.

"Have you thought hard upon the error of your ways and repented?"

Cody's breath was labored, his voice sounding like sandpaper rubbing across a bare piece of wood.

"I have nothing to repent for...tell me what I did...who are you?" he begged.

With the lightning sharp quickness of a snake, he wrapped his hand around Cody's throat, squeezing tight until he heard him gasp for breath.

"You took her from me and you sat back thinking I wouldn't do a thing. Well you're wrong. She loves me. The crowds cheering and the applause, she gives that to me..." He released his hold on Cody's throat and caressed his face. "You think she loves you? Noooo..but I told you she is fickle. She just gave you a taste. She is a flirt, but she always comes back to me. She's mine!"He shrieked.

"I don't know what you're talking about mister. I didn't take Abigail from you, I swear!" Cody's heart was pounding out of his chest as beads of sweat were forming.

He leaned in close to Cody and hissed, "I told you already, this has nothing to do with Abigail."

Grazing a gloved finger once more down Cody's cheek he smiled at the blonde haired man.

"You truly are handsome. It's a pity really. That silver tongue of yours combined with your good looks, you're made for the stage."

Between the terror and the pain that battled for dominance within Cody's brain something clicked and he knew as clear as day who his captor was and a chill seized hold of him.

"Do you love the stage, William F. Cody? "

"Not as much as you do, Stevenson."

"Liar!" Stevenson screamed as he pulled back his dark cloak, revealing his identity.

Cody struggled against his bonds, the man was a maniac. He had to get away. Where were his friends? Were they even looking for him?

"You love the stage, I saw it! The first day you walked into _my_ theater."

"No! You're wrong. I didn't come here to take the spotlight from you. I was your understudy for crying out loud. You were sick I had to fill in..." Cody fought to keep the fear and panic out of his voice.

"Ahhh, testing a theory, and I was right. The cheers, and admirers, you wanted more. I saw it in your eyes."

"No, I swear...no. You're crazy, Stevenson"

The man quickly grabbed hold of Cody's throat once more and squeezed tight. "Perhaps I'm mad, William F. Cody. Or perhaps just real clever. You see, you're going to have your moment in the spotlight forever more, center stage...yes center stage." Diabolical laughter ensued.

"The love of this mistress is not free. You shall pay the price and I have a nice surprise in store for you, William F. Cody. Remember, retribution comes swiftly." His eyes glinted as he spoke each word loud and clear.

Cody was struggling, gasping for air. Stevenson had tightened his hold upon his throat causing him to gag and retch. Cody prayed for the dark so he could finally die. Instead of death, metal tongs latched onto his tongue and yanked it outward. He cried in guttural pain!. "Arggggg!"

The next movement came swiftly as Stevenson held a sharp knife in the other hand, poised to take out his tongue.

His inky black eyes bore into Cody's crystal blue ones, "At first I planned to take your eyes, your beautiful blue eyes, but... no. Keep his eyes, he needs to watch, instead take that damnable silver tongue of his, perfect, really yes perfect. No one to hear your death screams as you give your final performance."

Cody had never been so terrified in his life as he watched a sinister grin spread across Stevenson's face. Within the blink of a second, white hot blinding pain seared through him. He cried out! His tongue was gone, as perverse evil laughter engulf his tortured wracked consciousness. He slipped into another world.

* * *

"Come on, through here." Abigail motioned the three men down a narrow staircase in the back of the theater.

"Where does this go?" Jimmy asked.

"Basement," Abigail whispered. "Old props and costumes are stored down here."

The stale, fetid combination of dust, rot, and decay from long neglected costumes and props hit their nostrils as they entered the forgotten room. Teaspoon cast the lantern around, giving life to the cobwebs that hung low from the ceiling rafters, swaying to and fro like some eerie gossamer phantom. Objects that were scattered about were thrown into spectral shadow and light. It almost seemed, right before their eyes the abandoned theater props grew out of the darkness and loomed large over them as they made their way across the dirt floor.

Somewhere in the distance, Buck caught the low howl of hungry wolves and unconsciously clutched his medicine pouch and offered up a silent prayer to the Great Spirit.

Abigail seemed unaffected as she pointed to a door at the other end of the room, "In here, Cody is in here," she breathed looking around frantically. "I hope Steve doesn't return."

On cue Buck and Jimmy unholstered their guns, and breaking the silence, cocked the hammers back.

"Miss Adair, I suggest you find a place to keep yourself safe. I'm not sure what we'll find behind this door." Teaspoon suggested as he pulled out his gun and took aim at the heavy lock and bolt.

He whipped open the door and they all just stood and stared.

"He's not here! Where is he." Jimmy growled, anger masking his fear.

"Dear, sweet Jesus. Will you look at that." Teaspoon muttered. "What did they do to him?"

"What is it, Teaspoon?" Buck asked as he took a good look at the ladder like contraption with unshackled iron cuffs attached to it.

"It looks like some sort of torture rack. They're used to stretch a person, but judging from this crude make, who ever had Cody just hung him from it."

Buck examined the iron wrist cuffs, "There's blood on this, it's fresh." He bent down and checked the bottom ones and a small puddle of blood on the ground caught his eye. "Teaspoon! Look. It hasn't been there long."

"Look, over here, Cody's boots." Jimmy called out. "We gotta find him, Teaspoon."

"I know, son. Let's not panic. Miss Adair said she had seen something like this happen before. Lets see if she can shed some light on where this Stevenson fella took Cody."

* * *

Fiendish nightmares and hot cold chills shook Cody's body as the world came screaming back to him. No longer was he confined to that heinous contraption, but he was certain that a new, larger piece of hell, had just claimed him. His hands and legs were bound with coarse rope and his breathing was growing shallow. He was ready for the end to come. His only regret, he didn't get to say goodbye to his family and tell them what they all meant to him. Now, even if some miracle occurred and they found him, he would never be able to say the words. Why was it taking so long? Where was sweet death with it's endless slumber where his body could finally be at peace? Tears were falling as he let out a strangled cry. Why didn't they come, why didn't they rescue him? Did they not care? Jimmy, he thought Jimmy would be the first to find him. Jimmy, why didn't you come? He wanted to scream out. Only a gurgling sound he didn't recognize as his own voice reached his ears. More convulsions shook him as pain took over.

* * *

"It happened in Denver about a year ago," Abigail began. "I knew Steve was jealous but it grew out of control with Freddy."

"Who's Freddy?" Jimmy asked not even bothering to hide his impatience, they needed to find Cody.

Sensing the need to hurry her story along, Abigail went on, "He was Stevenson's understudy. He was good and Steve knew it. One weekend Steve took sick, Freddy's performance was the best I had ever seen, even better than Steve. He brought the house down." She paused to swallow. "After that night we never saw Freddy again."

"There was only a note that arrived the day after Freddy's performance."

"Do you remember what it said?" Teaspoon asked.

"I do. I'll never forget the words, He bid us farewell. Said he had fallen in love and that love comes with a hard price. He was going to perform his greatest performance and take center stage forever more, forever more."

Jimmy furrowed his brow while fingering the ivory handled Colt slung at his hip. "That's it?"

Abigail nodded, easing her way closer towards Teaspoon. Jimmy was a little too overwhelming for her liking.

"Sounds cryptic," Buck observed. "Did they ever find Freddy?"

"No, the Marshal in Denver searched the theater top to bottom, but didn't find anything. I became more certain that Steve had something to do with Freddy's disappearance but I didn't have any solid proof."

"You don't have proof this time either," Buck pointed out.

"No, I don't. But it's happening just the same way it did before. Billy bringing down the house and a standing ovation, just like Freddy. I should have recognized the similarities. Weeks before Billy's performance, Steve was becoming more crazed, his jealousy growing as Billy studied and learned his lines. I can't explain it, but now I know for certain."

Buck pondered her response, "Well, we now know who took Cody, the more important question now is, where did he take him?"

Teaspoon had been rubbing his chin while mulling over Miss Adair's words, convinced what she was telling was true. "The clue to where we find Cody is in Freddy's note."

"What?" Jimmy shook his head, confused.

"That's it!" Abigail exclaimed. "The main theater, come on..." She ran towards the stairway, then stopped and looked back at the three men still standing, rooted to the floor. Stamping her tiny foot she explained, "Freddy's note mentions a performance, the stage. That is where Billy is...in the main theater." Hiking up her skirts Abigail scurried up the stairs with the others following close in tow.

* * *

As she led the three men through the backstage area, Jimmy let out a low whistle while holding the lantern up and took a good look at the rigging and sandbags suspended overhead. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Abigail grabbed hold of his arm.

"Don't do that," she hissed.

"What?!"

Teaspoon clutched at his chest as Buck let out a curse, they were all on edge and the sudden break in silence didn't help matters any.

"Don't whistle in here," she explained.

"Why not," Jimmy whispered.

"It's bad luck." Abigail replied as she nervously cast her eyes over all the ropes and flywheel systems. "Come on, through this curtain, it will take us out onto the main stage."

Just as Buck was about to slip through the parted curtain a sandbag landed with a distinct thud not more than a foot behind him.

Abigail yelped as the three men whipped around, guns at the ready. They all looked up but didn't see anything suspicious except the lone counter weight laying on the floor.

"Accident?" Jimmy asked.

"Lets hope so, Jimmy" Teaspoon replied.

"I told you whistling brings bad luck." Abigail chided. A chill ran through her, she knew it was no accident.

Buck muttered something in Kiowa while trying to shake the foreboding that crept under his skin.

Stepping back through the curtain, Buck almost walked into Abigail who had stopped dead in front of him. "Sorry, Miss Adair." Even in the dim light he could tell she had grown pale.

"What is it?" Buck asked.

"The footlights, they're lit."

"So?"

"The theater is closed. They shouldn't be lit."

"Maybe someone is doing some repair work while the place is free of patrons and actors." Teaspoon suggested, trying to keep imaginations from running away with fanciful speculations.

"Maybe," Miss Adair said doubtfully.

"At least it's providing us some light," Jimmy replied as he held their only lantern out over the empty seating, the place was larger than he first thought. Cody could be anywhere.

"I'm going to walk through the aisles, Teaspoon. See if I can find anything." Jimmy said.

The stage was void of any props as Buck methodically walked around, taking in every corner from floor to ceiling. A small strip of cloth caught his eye and he knelt down to examine it closer and discovered that it was glued down.

"What is this?" Buck directed his question to Miss Adair.

She quietly walked to the upper right part of the stage where Buck was. "It's a spike."

Buck arched a brow. It didn't look like any spike he ever saw. "A what?"

"It's a mark indicating the different stage positions. Helps an actor find their mark, or where they should be on stage. This one you're looking at marks upstage right."

"I see."

"And..." she continued, "If you look straight ahead you should be able to see the another mark, that's downstage right."

"Miss Adair, where exactly would someone stand if they took center stage?" Teaspoon asked.

"Right here," She replied as she moved to stand in the center of the stage, where everything happened.

"See," Abigail pointed to the floor, "There is a..." Her smooth brow furrowed up. "Well that's funny, where is the spike? I could have sworn, the other night..." She muttered.

"What's funny?" Buck asked.

"Oh, it's nothing I suppose. The spike mark was probably taken up when they cleaned, after the performance." Shrugging her shoulders Abigail watched as Jimmy walked slowly through each chair aisle, his Colt drawn in one hand, lantern in the other.

"Seems sorta odd," Teaspoon remarked as he stroked his chin. "All the other marks are in place except this one."

Buck felt the hairs on his arms and neck raise up like before when he heard the strange laughter. He was certain he was missing something. "Where did you say this mark should have been?"

Turning at the sound of Buck's voice she blinked in surprise as she found herself staring into his dark chocolate eyes. _He sure has a way of walking up on someone without a sound._ She mused.

"About here, why?" She held her delicate finger extended downward, at the tip of her booted foot.

Kneeling down, Buck ran his hand over the smooth floor boards, not sure himself what he was looking for.

"Did you find something, Son?"

"I don't know, Teaspoon."

Without warning Buck jumped up and scrambled backward holding his medicine pouch.

"What is it, Buck?"

"Not sure, sounded like a..., like a moan coming from the floor..No!" Buck bent back down again, his fingers roaming over the floor boards, searching.

Teaspoon crouched beside the younger man, praying he was wrong. "You think..."

"I hope not..." His fingers brushed over a smooth plank.

"There should be some remnants of glue, but I don't feel any." Buck muttered more to himself as his fingers searched for what he was looking for. "There!"

Buck's fingers had brushed over an uneven plank, hardly noticeable to the naked eye.

"Jimmy! Get over here, Buck's found something." Teaspoon hollered.

Pulling out his knife, Buck started prying up the suspicious boarding. With a little work it gave way and in turn the other boards readily came loose, revealing Billy Cody.

Buck, gasped while grabbing at his pouch and uttered a prayer for his friend in Kiowa. Then reaching down he placed fingers on his friend's neck searching for a pulse. "He's still alive, Teaspoon."

"Dear Lord, have mercy," Teaspoon breathed as he took in the sight of the man he thought of like a son. Cody's face was covered in an grisly mixture of blood and bruises, but it was his gapping mouth void of a tongue that sent chills down Teaspoon's spine. "Come on, let's get him outta there."

Jimmy raced up onto the stage floor. "Here, I got him," and carefully helped Buck raise him up from out of his tomb.

"Abigail, run! Go get Doc, now!" Teaspoon ordered the young woman.

"Son, can you hear me? It's gonna be okay, Doc's on his way...we got ya son."

Coughs wracked his youthful frame as he started to choke on his own blood and saliva.

"Sit him up, quick, Jimmy" Buck yelled as he sliced off the ropes binding his feet and arms.

Cody's swollen eyes fluttered open as his vision focused on the faces around him. First Buck, then Teaspoon and finally he let his eyes rest upon Jimmy. He came. Cody had nothing left as tears fell and another round of racking chills grabbed hold of him. He fell forward into Jimmy's arms.

Catching Cody's shaking body Jimmy locked eyes with Teaspoon's. This couldn't be the end. It just couldn't.

"He's burning up, Teaspoon."

Buck touched his limp arm, "Fever, look." Carefully he examined Cody's infected hands where the flesh had been ripped off.

"All we can do now is pray, until Doc gets here." Teaspoon placed his arm around Cody.

Jimmy simply wrapped his arms around his friend and pulled him tight. "You gotta hang in there Cody. You can't die on me...you just can't, you still owe me two dollars." Tears were falling unhindered down Jimmy's face, but he didn't care who saw. "Come on Billy, Doc's going to be here any minute now. Don't go dying on me, ya hear!" He stroked the man's sweat soaked hair.

Time was drawing close. Cody felt safe. The miraculous had happened and he was plucked out of Hell's tenacious grasp. There was only one thing he needed to do. He mustered his last ounce of strength and tried to pull out of Jimmy's strong embrace. He grunted and tried to speak...

Jimmy released his hold and gently grasped the other man's shoulders so he could look into Billy's blue eyes. "Cody, I got ya, I'm not letting you go, you're going to make it."

Cody tried to smile, he reached a trembling hand up and managed to press it, palm side down, upon Jimmy's chest where his heart rested. He stared long into Jimmy's golden eyes, he wanted to remember, his eyes shone, but he had spent all his tears as he grasped and gapped for words that no longer came readily.

Jimmy enclosed his strong hand around Billy's hot feverish fingers, careful not to touch the raw flaming red flesh of his hand. He read the unspoken words, shining in his friends eyes, "You too, Billy." he rasped. "Hang on,Doc's coming."

With Jimmy's words and the memory of his eyes, Cody let go..

Buck felt tears welling in his eyes and he turned away, giving the two men who were closer than brothers a moment to say goodbye. Teaspoon must have had the same idea as Buck felt his arm around his shoulders. Neither said a word, none needed saying.

"Nooo! Cody! Noooo, you can't die on me!" Jimmy screamed as Cody lay slump against his sob racked frame, arms holding the man, friend, and brother, tight.

Pure diabolical laughter suddenly echoed throughout the theater house, snapping Jimmy and the others out of their fresh raw grief.

With the speed of a coiled snake, Buck and Teaspoon had their guns drawn, followed a moment later by Jimmy, who first rested Cody carefully on the floor, then drew his Colts.

"Stevenson!" Teaspoon hollered, we know you're out there. You best show yourself if ya know what's good for ya."

The man slowly materialized out of the back shadows of the theater house, hands clapping.

"Bravo! Bravo, William F. Cody. You told me once that you loved death scenes and what a stellar final performance you just gave. Oh how I love when art imitates life..or is that the other way around? It doesn't really matter, and you got your audience and left them all in tears. Beautifully done."

"You did this to him! You killed Cody! You're going to pay, Stevenson!" Jimmy yelled, voice quivering with rage. He started to walk off the playhouse stage, when the older lawman stayed his movements.

"Easy, now Jimmy." Teaspoon placed a firm hand on his shoulder, "I'll handle this."

"He deserves to die, Teaspoon."

"You can't hang me, Marshal." Stevenson gloated. "You have no proof. Remember, dead men tell no tales."

"Who says anything about hangin'," Jimmy fired back. "I'm going to shoot ya."

"Jimmy," Teaspoon warned. He had half a mind to let Jimmy at the bastard.

"Wouldn't shoot an unarmed man now, would ya?" To prove his point he unfastened his cloak, there were no guns strapped to his hip. "I told you," he sneered.

"Why did you do it?" Buck asked, emotions raw. "He didn't do anything to you. You didn't have to kill him like that." He was fighting back his need to see this madman dead as he reached for his knife.

"Buck!" Teaspoon's voice was calm, "Don't do it, Buck."

"I had to kill him, she told me to do it or else she'd kill me."

"Who?" Teaspoon asked. "Who told you to kill Cody?"

"Her." He spread his arms out and spun around to encompass the whole theater as demented laughter echoed through the room.

"The man's a lunatic," Teaspoon muttered.

"The stage. The play is life, she gives me life, ME! Only me. She told me to kill him if I wanted life, Kill him, kill him, kill him, she whispered to me. She even told me how to do it." Stevenson was growing more frenzied by the second.

"I say we shoot him, Teaspoon." Jimmy glanced at the Marshal. "He just as much as admitted to murdering,Cody."

A gunshot rang out, reverberating through the playhouse.

"Jimmy, No!" Teaspoon cried out!

"It wasn't Jimmy," Buck quickly replied as he moved swiftly to the side of the stage.

Standing to the right of where Stevenson stood was the young Miss Adair, holding a smoking pistol.

"Is he dead?" Buck asked as he and the others ran up to the limp body.

"No, It's just a wound to the shoulder." Doc said as he knelt beside the groaning man.

"I'm not a good shot," Abigail responded. "But he carries a small gun with him, hidden in his vest pocket, he was about to pull it out."

"Thank you, Miss Adair." Teaspoon replied. "You have been of enormous help."

"You're welcome" She looked up at the stage where Billy's lifeless body laid "I'm sorry about Billy, I really liked him." Tears were spilling down her rosy cheeks.

The sound of a gun cocked back caught Teaspoon's attention.

"It ain't right, Teaspoon. He should be dead, not Cody." Jimmy pointed his Colt straight at Cody's tormentor. "I can't let him live, I just can't." Emotions racked his voice. "No one kills one of my friends and gets away with it. This is for Cody."

Before Teaspoon or any of the others could protest, or stop him a final shot rang out.

* * *

The Sweetwater theater never reopened. It shut it's doors for good soon after the strange, tragic death of William F. Cody.

The theater troupe disbanded soon after his death along with the death of Stevenson Montgomery. Mr. Wittmier moved back to New York City, and landed a job directing a small acting group in a tiny out of the way theater.

Miss Adair moved to Denver, determined, with a letter Marshal Hunter sent, to reopen Freddy's case and find him. She never did discover what Stevenson had done with her friend, but Abigail fell hard in love and married Denver's newest Marshal, Jake Conrad.

As for the town of Rock Creek, no one really knew exactly what had happened that lead to William's demise. But it didn't keep the town's fine citizens from forming fanciful stories. Only a small few really knew the truth surrounding the events that followed the young man's stellar center stage performance and subsequent death.

Over time those who knew the real truth about Billy Cody passed on, to join their brother, and the elaborate stories that had formed became legend and legend,fact.

To this day, if you pass through Rock Creek, and inquire about the abandoned theater house the locals will tell an almost unbelievable yarn. They claim that on rare occasions when the fog rolls in just right and stretches out it's nebulous arms through the small town, laughter and applause can be heard once more from the old theater house. Some, who believe in such fanciful stories even go so far as to whisper among themselves and those that want to hear, that they have even caught a glimpse of a handsome, young blonde haired man with a charming easy smile and silver tongue walking out of the old Sweetwater Theater, towards the livery stables, practicing his lines.

* * *

This story gutted me to write. But it pulled me out of my comfort zone...not my usual fare but Cody wanted a death scene, so I gave it to him...and I can't resist those baby blues of his. Please let me know what you all think.

Cody had been hounding Hortense, saying no one ever kills him. So Hort posed the challenge to us Plus ladies, and I couldn't resist. I hope the story met with William Cody's approval. :D And yes there is a nod to the Bills if anyone caught it...just had to. :D

First, I have to thank a few amazing ladies. Ethel, when I first doubted this story's worth of seeing the light of day, you read through it and your kind words and enthusiasm for the story gave me the strength to continue and let it see the light of day..Hugs to you. :)

Hortense, doll, the story wouldn't be what it is without your eyes on it and your amazing pink pen. Your help and encouragement means the world, you will never know how much. Hugs kitten.

Eunice, doll, Your help...I can't thank you enough for your eyes on this story and your theater expertise. This story wouldn't have had the added texture without your knowledge. Thank you for going through it, making sure it was ready to go. Hugs to you, doll.

The ladies at the plus, huge thanks for your support, encouragement, friendship and added help...Hugs to all you dear ones.

And you dear readers who take the time to read my bit of scribbling...hugs to you all as well. Let me know what you think.


End file.
